DETROIT, Mich. – If you’ve been living under a rock and think that a custom car show like the Detroit Autorama is just a bunch of old guys and their hot rods, then you’d be even more wrong than bringing a Camaro to a Mustang club show. This 800-car yearly extravaganza hosted by the Michigan Hot Rod Association has become a staple for enthusiasts of all ages across the Midwest. In fact, for the fifth consecutive year we spotted as many young people in attendance as the regular Boomer fans – surely an indication that teens, twentysomethings, thirtysomethings and fortysomethings actually have more than a passing interest in the custom car culture after all. What’s more, the show’s selection of the annual “Ridler Award” for the best new custom build from the “Great 8” display car finalists – remains among the most coveted custom-car happenings on the continent.
The Detroit Autorama features hundreds and hundreds of display vehicles of all types, makes and models, with Detroit iron being the big draw. Despite being held during one of the coldest months of the year in Michigan, the extended-weekend event draws 150,000-plus attendees to the multi-level indoor show each year. The main floor houses the major displays for the Ridler Award, the Cavalcade of Customs, Vendors, a huge Toy-A-Rama and Food Courts along with all of the registered show cars. A separate “show within a show” called “Autorama Extreme” is held downstairs, where rusty metal, rat rods and imaginative home-built rides are shown along with motorcycles, bikes and purveyors of the “automotive subculture.” While younger fans are always found downstairs, the sheer numbers of teens and young adults on the main floor as well is a welcome sight for the core of old-timers, who are quite pleased their cars are attracting new generations of fans.
This year’s 72nd annual Autorama ran from Friday, February 28th through Sunday, March 2nd at Detroit’s venerable Huntington Place downtown convention center (formerly known as Cobo Hall). We secured a media pass and toured the show on the opening Friday afternoon to coordinate capturing some of the sights at the show for you on FordPerformance.com. We also stopped by the big display from the Transportation Technologies program at Washtenaw Community College. It wasn’t just to see the cool 1927 Ford hot rod they were showcasing, but more to invite the students into the local Ford club community and propose working together to host a Mustang & Ford show at the school. Students in Washtenaw’s program can work toward degrees as Powertrain Development and Automotive Test Technicians, as well as Associates in Auto Body, Auto Service, or Electric Vehicle Service & Repair. Connecting with automotive programs in schools is the future of the hobby, so we were excited to see them and talk with them at the Detroit Autorama!
Later on show weekend, Ford Marketing retiree-turned-car show photographer Bill Cook attended this celebrated yearly event with his camera and shot more than 400 photos of his favorite rides on display there. Check out our selections of various Fords in his gallery below, and then check back soon for our look at Autorama Extreme as we cover all 723,000 square feet of convention center display space to give you an insider’s look at car culture in The Motor City.
FORD PERFORMANCE PHOTOS / COURTESY BILL COOK
